The Al-Imdaad Community Garden Project has reached fruition and the seeds of the harvest were sown at the official opening of the Green Grocer on Friday, May 22. The Green Grocer is your one-stop shop for fresh, organic produce, plucked from the surrounding garden. The shop stocks a variety of fruit and vegetable, snacks, teas and coffees and even organic body products.

There were several compliments from the public on Friday when the shop was officially opened by Umtshezi Municipality PR Councillor Edith Lite. A short ceremony was held before the ribbon-cutting ceremony where the community garden project was explained. What started as a dream almost three years ago in a high-flood zone with supportive donors, has flourished into a beautiful garden that is producing organic products, which are sold to the community.

The Al-Imdaad Foundation has nurtured the land, providing employment and sustaining the environment. The bigger plan is to open a school that will teach organic gardening, thus spreading the knowledge and sustaining food supply. Words of support were given from Manzi Hadebe and Ward Six Councillor Breen Ally Buckus on behalf of Mayor Bongani Dlamini and Municipal Manager Nonhlanhla Gamede. The opening ceremony ended amid applause as the ribbon was cut and the public was invited to browse inside the new shop.